


What Could Have Been

by Ohatsu



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Light Angst, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 16:59:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13415646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohatsu/pseuds/Ohatsu
Summary: Tweek and Craig aren't that interested in this relationship after all. What happens if they part ways?





	What Could Have Been

**Author's Note:**

> Many South Park fans are still denying the existence of Creek. Even if it's canon, they don't think the boys have any real romantic affection for one another. 
> 
> The idea for this story came about because my husband is of this mindset. It almost hurt to write it, but I find my ways of cheating so it still has Creek undertones. 
> 
> This story was rewritten many times with various endings, but this one makes the most sense going with my intended plotline.
> 
> My original characters were not given names deliberately. Especially the male character, he was meant to be vague and in the background.

"Thanks for coming over."  
Craig and Tweek were sitting on Craig's bed, facing each other. The atmosphere was tense as they stared at one another. Tweek was his usual jittery self, nervous and craving his coffee. Craig was his usual stoic self, sounding serious but his face remained impassive. 

"Is everything okay?" asked Tweek. It wasn't unusual for his boyfriend to invite him over, but it didn't seem to be just for hanging out this time. His eyes twitched spastically as he waited for Craig to speak. 

"I think it's time we end it. It's been a few months, nobody cares anymore," said Craig flatly. His words sounded cold but Tweek knew exactly what was going on. The town believed them to be in a romantic relationship, but they were expected to be together because asian girls said so? Well, that's not really how it works. 

"Are you sure?" replied Tweek dubiously. "We didn't think it would be a big deal but everyone freaked out last time. I even saw my dad crying over it." Craig nodded emphatically and leaned back against his pillow, getting comfortable. "Yeah. We just have to do it gradually, and not bring any attention to it. You know how it is. Everyone goes crazy over something, and next week it's old news. Before you know it, this will all be over, like a bad dream." 

At the look Tweek gave him, Craig sighed. "I don't mean it like that. We're friends and it's been fun, but you know we're not gay. We went over this already," he said patiently. After a moment's thought, he added, "Unless you're not ready yet." 

Tweek fidgeted under Craig's piercing gaze. They may not be a real couple but he always seemed to know when something was on his mind. This had been the plan all along, but now that it was happening, he was hesitant. They had become good friends and he was afraid of losing that connection. Or maybe it was something else. He couldn't look him in the eye when he replied, "No, whatever. I just want the timing to be right."

Craig was sure that Tweek was hiding something but he figured he would tell him if it was important. He shrugged it off and passed Tweek an Xbox controller. Tweek came to sit next to him, looking unusually subdued but they continued on like normal. As they played, they discussed how they were ending their pretend relationship. 

They would start doing less of the lovey-dovey stuff, like holding hands; they would make less appearances in public together; and less hanging out at each other's houses. They can still be friends and hang out. They just need everyone to stop obsessing over this yaoi thing and get on with their lives. Simple, right? 

 

Five years later, Craig and Tweek were practically strangers. They never spoke and barely saw each other, despite being in the same classes. They were in different worlds, and no one would have guessed they ever had anything to do with each other. 

Craig grew up to be every bit the troublemaker that all the other parents said he was. He made his father proud, and his mother constantly worried. Tall, athletic, and good-looking, he attracted a lot of attention. The only problem was his attitude. He received good grades but didn't care for cooperating with his teachers or classmates. He was arrogant and sly, with a nasty temper and a violent streak. 

Tweek was quiet and studious, but popular with girls. It wasn't uncommon to see him walking around school with clips in his hair, done up by female friends. Despite being surrounded by girls, he never went out with any of them. A rumour was circulating that he was batting for the other team, which wasn't surprising after what happened a few years ago. 

However, Craig was determined to leave that in the past. His father was already in possession of all artworks related to that time. He threatened everyone to never bring it up again, and anyone who didn't comply was bullied into submission. As a result, he had a falling out with Jimmy who left their circle of friends. The only students he really had trouble with was Stan's group. They were as rebellious and mischievous as ever, but thankfully, relatively disinterested in what Craig was trying to keep buried. 

Every day was the same routine, until one day the cycle was broken when they received a transfer student. He was average in every way. He had brown eyes, messy brown hair; he was average height and weight. He was unremarkable and Craig would not have given him a second thought if the teacher had not sat him next to Tweek and asked him to share his book. They got along right off the bat and Craig felt an unexpected surge of hatred for this boy he did not know. 

Over the following weeks, their friendship grew, and they did everything together. Craig had hardly paid any attention to Tweek for the past couple of years but he now found himself sneaking glances often. Every time, he would see them talking and laughing and it made him inexplicably angry.

As he ate his lunch joylessly, he glared at the two boys from across the cafeteria. He felt small, cold fingers on his arm and he turned to look into his girlfriend's pale blue eyes. "Is everything okay?" she asked in her gentle, whispery voice. Craig wrapped an arm around her shoulders, he could feel how thin and delicate she was. "Yeah, baby. Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly. He rejoined his friends' conversation about the upcoming school dance, but there was always something in the back of his mind that gnawed at him. 

The next day, as Craig was chatting with his girlfriend by her locker, he saw her facial expression change suddenly and realized someone was standing behind him. He was further irritated to discover that it was the transfer student, who asked to speak with him. "What do you want from me?" asked Craig menacingly. 

Looking nervous but unwilling to back down, the transfer student pressed on, asking about a topic that Craig did not want brought up. He had heard somewhere that Craig and Tweek had a past, and wondered if Craig was so hostile because of unresolved issues between them. He wanted to know if Craig wanted to tie up loose ends because he was planning to ask Tweek to the dance. 

Everything about this guy bothered him. His soft voice; his wide, earnest eyes; and the fact that he knew something he wasn't supposed to know. Without warning, Craig punched him in the stomach and he doubled over. Craig grinned as the other boy sank to the floor, gasping for air. As he shoved his foot onto the boy's chest, his girlfriend grabbed his arm frantically, begging him to stop. He scowled at her, and she cowered under his gaze, but didn't let go. 

Annoyed, Craig yanked his arm back and walked away. He didn't return to school for the rest of the week, though Cartman came in the next day looking a little worse for wear. Kenny laughed at his busted lip and bruised face while Stan and Kyle rolled their eyes. It was his own fault for opening his big mouth. He refused to answer any questions about it, even when Tweek came to ask, knowing full well that it had to be Craig.

After the weekend passed and he still didn't come to school on Monday, Tweek decided to go see Craig's girlfriend and find out if she knew what was going on with him. She sat alone in the library during lunch, bathed in sunlight, absorbed in a book. Looking at her now, he couldn't understand how a girl like her ended up with Craig. She was pretty, with long strawberry-blond hair and big blue eyes, a pair of round oversized glasses perched on her nose. She wasn't considered popular because she was introverted and nerdy. Of course, Tweek understood why he chose her. She was quiet and obedient, and tolerant enough to put up with his shit. 

She was so enthralled in reading that she didn't notice when Tweek sat next to her. He cleared his throat softly and she looked at him, startled. Not surprisingly, she didn't want to speak to him. She shook from either fear or anxiety, and had to put her book down. After a few minutes of going around in circles, he sighed and got up. As he walked away, he turned back to look at her. She had already resumed reading and all he could do was hope that she wasn't hiding bruises under her sweater. 

After school let out, Tweek made his way to Craig's house. He hesitated at the front door, not having set foot in this house in years. Taking a deep breath, he walked in and went upstairs to Craig's room. He found him lounging around, one long leg hanging off the bed and a cigarette dangling from one hand as he read comic books. 

Tweek stood in the doorway, stunned. "You're skipping school to read comic books?" Craig looked at him, eyes narrowed, and took a long drag on his cigarette. "What the fuck are you doing here? Don't invite yourself over and nag at me like a bitch." Tweek felt lucky that he wasn't thrown out on the spot. He looked in distaste at the dirty clothes and beer cans strewn around the room. 

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but do you really need to beat up all our friends?" Tweek knew he had to pick his battles and this was the original reason he came here in the first place. Craig smirked at him and put out his cigarette in an ashtray. "You don't care about fat boy. You're just mad I roughed up your little boyfriend. He should be fine. He can't be that delicate, even if he looks like a girl," he scoffed. 

Tweek flushed bright red and he could feel the anxiety creeping up on him. He figured this talk wouldn't be so bad since they were close at one point, but he did not know this Craig at all. "He's not my boyfriend. I see you glaring at us every day and I know you flip him off every time he looks at you. That's one thing, but I saw the bruise on his stomach and that was just uncalled for. Why couldn't you have told him it's none of his business or that you didn't want to talk about it?" he asked, resenting the pleading tone in his own voice. 

Craig got off his bed, setting aside his comic book, and walked right up to him. Tweek looked up, seeing no warmth in his dark blue eyes, and hoped that he couldn't tell how hard his heart was pounding in his chest. "Would he have left it at that? If I tried talking him down, he would just think he could convince me if he bothered me enough. I'm not dealing with that shit so I shut down the conversation. That's all." 

It was hard to argue against his logic. "If I convince him to drop it, will you at least tell the guys to back off?" asked Tweek desperately. Craig raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Clyde has been harassing him, and his parents. They're starting to think this town isn't safe and are talking about moving again." Craig laughed and Tweek felt his face burn with anger and frustration. 

"Why are you like this?" he shouted. "When did you become such a bully? You live like a slob and everyone is scared of you. I just hope you don't mistreat your girlfriend. It's like she can't even talk to someone without your permission!"  
After getting that off his chest, he was worried that he may have crossed a line. 

Craig's eyes darkened. "Why am I like this? Do I ask you when you became such a fag?" He flicked the sparkly butterfly clip in Tweek's hair. "People grow up. People change. Don't preach your shit to me, you have no right. As for my girlfriend, I don't have to set down rules. She's just smart enough to keep her mouth shut." 

Tweek's heart sank as he realized how cold and indifferent Craig had become. This was the boy that talked him through his problems and wrote a song with him. The boy that took him to an amusement park just to get his mind off things. Even if their relationship was pretend, Craig was there for him when he needed someone. He blinked back tears of frustration, wondering how things ended up this way. "Just because we didn't stay together, doesn't mean I don't care about you and where your life is heading," he said softly. 

The look Craig gave him was so heart rending he felt a sudden need to put distance between them, but Craig wouldn't let him. Every time he took a step back, Craig took another step forward, until his back hit a wall. Craig towered over him, resting his forehead casually on one hand that he lay flat on the wall. This allowed almost no space between them.

"So you're going to save me from myself? Because I need you in my life in order to be happy?" Craig reached up and lifted the blond's chin, forcing Tweek to look him in the eye. "And where does that leave your boyfriend? You've always been too emotional. You should leave before you say something you don't mean." 

Tweek didn't need to be told twice. He wrenched himself from Craig's smouldering gaze and ran down the stairs, slamming the door on his way out. He didn't hear the crunch of the drywall as Craig punched a hole through it.

 

On the night of the dance, there was a buzz of excitement in the air. Refreshments were set up on tables at the end of the gymnasium. Teachers and parent volunteers were scattered around the room, making sure that everyone was behaving appropriately. 

Craig and Tweek had not had any contact since that day at Craig's house. However, Craig did tell Clyde to lay off the transfer student and everything settled back down. He started showing up to classes again and kept out of trouble. 

As promised, the transfer student had asked Tweek to the dance. As they swayed gently to a slow song, Tweek looked around in embarrassment as girls squealed excitedly. Eventually he learned to ignore them and just enjoyed the moment. When Craig caught his eye, he mouthed the words 'Thank you'. 

Craig was leaning against a wall, taking a discreet swig from a flask. Token chuckled next to him, watching Clyde's attempts to reach under Bebe's short skirt as they danced. "You did good, you know. Tweek looks happy. You should go find your own happiness now. You deserve it too." Nichole came by to pull Token onto the dance floor and Craig was left alone. 

He rubbed his scuffed knuckles absentmindedly and wondered if there was ever a possibility where he could be the one dancing with Tweek. He tried to push the thought away, along with the hollow ache in his chest, knowing that it was his decision all those years ago that led to this. There was no point dwelling on it now. Someone was waiting for him. 

Following the scent of strawberries, he smiled when he saw his girlfriend standing in a corner. She looked beautiful in her pale yellow dress, her silky hair braided and tied with a large bow. It warmed his heart the way her face lit up when she spotted him. She hugged him and he found it cute how she only came up to his chest, even with the heels she was wearing. 

"You smell good," she said shyly.  
"Not as good as you," he said, cringing inwardly at how cheesy that sounded. He kissed her neck and she giggled, the innocent sound drowning out everything, melting away the negative thoughts and feelings that plagued him just moments before. He led her onto the dance floor, where they danced until they were tired and breathless. 

They sat down to have some punch. Craig couldn't help but admire how such a fragile creature could hold so much light and hope. She noticed him watching her and turned to smile at him. He found himself smiling back and brushed his fingertips on her flushed cheek. 

How did he get so distracted that he didn't see what he had in front of him? He was happy with her. Nothing had changed these past months except him. He was chasing something he gave up years ago while she waited patiently for him to snap out of it. 

He wrapped her up in a big hug, burying his face in her hair, and she squeaked in surprise. "Let me stay like this for a bit," he whispered. She stayed still and let him hold her until he was feeling ready to face the world again. When he resurfaced, she pulled him back into the crowd where they could lose themselves in the moment and nothing but the two of them mattered. 

 

Many years later, as Craig thought back on that night, he knew it was then that he fell in love with her. It was a sweet memory that he cherished on cold and lonely nights. 

As he walked the streets of South Park, he recalled the crazy experiences he had as a child, and wondered how many children were now engrossed in similar adventures. He saw many familiar faces, made polite small talk. And then he happened upon a familiar face that he was not expecting to see. Those green eyes and mess of blond hair still had a way of making Craig's heart beat faster. 

"Hi Tweek," he said softly.  
Tweek smiled brightly at him. "Craig! I heard you moved to Denver."  
"Yeah, I'm visiting this weekend. How was the world tour?"  
"Nothing glamorous. He wanted to save the world, and it was exciting for a while. After a few years, I just wanted to settle down. So I came back home to figure things out." He noticed a glint on Craig's left hand. "Oh! I've been really out of touch. You got married? Any kids?" 

Craig smiled sadly. "It was a couple years after you left. We tried for a baby but then she got sick. I lost her last year. I just came back from visiting the cemetery." 

Tweek trembled from emotion, grasping his shirt tightly. "I- I'm so sorry," he stammered.  
Craig shook his head, "It's okay. Well, I'm not okay, but I'm getting by. I'm thinking of moving back to town. It's too hard living in that empty house right now." 

"Want to grab a coffee? We can do more catching up. It looks like you could use a friend," Tweek offered.  
"Sure, that sounds good." 

As they headed down to Tweek Bros. Coffee, Craig glanced down at Tweek walking beside him. It felt almost like old times again. Back when life was simpler and the biggest decision they had to make was how to spend their allowance. 

Craig couldn't be so selfish as to assume he was the only one suffering from loss. He wasn't sure how appropriate it was, but he was sure Tweek was heartbroken and lonely as well. His fingers inched ever so slightly toward Tweek until he could just graze his hand. It was gentle and brief enough to be passed off as an accident. Tweek slid his hand in Craig's and they walked on in comfortable silence.


End file.
